Re-Finding PL.AC.E. for Walking: Assessment of Key-Elements Using Questionnaire

Many studies had already been conducted to acknowledge the contribution of walking in sustainable urban development. After conducting a literature study, authors identified the 3 (three) keyelements and introduced them as PL.AC.E. (abbreviation of Profile, Activity, and Environment), of the pedestrian. The Pedestrian Profile was defined as a combination of the following key-attributes: age; financial income; physical condition; gender; mobility choice; employment and education; social cultural capital; pedestrian type; and public transportation usage. The Pedestrian Activity was defined from the key-attributes as follow: walking-related purposes; social interaction; walking intensity; walking habits; and transport modes interaction. Then the Pedestrian Environment was defined within key-attributes of: spatial planning; walk-ability; neighborhood livability; traffic safety; pedestrian facilities (hard elements); pedestrian facilities (soft elements); and environmental quality. In this study, authors would assess those key-elements by distributing a questionnaire to a group of freshmen of the Department of Architecture in the University of Kitakyushu, Japan as a trial experiment. Total 58 responses were recorded and then analyzed using correlations type statistical analysis. It was then concluded that there are indications that those key-elements could be addressed in the planning process of a walk-able urban environment. However in order to validate the result, authors would continue to further distribute the questionnaire to various respondents within different case study areas.